Katsin/Loeb Adds Pair of E-Commerce Accounts

Two e-commerce clients have taken their ad accounts to Katsin/Loeb. The San Francisco shop will be called on to develop ad campaigns for Webquest International, an Internet entertainment and leisure site, and for eStar.com, a celebrity news and merchandise site. Billings for the Webquest account are estimated at $5-7 million; no budget was disclosed for eStar.com. Finalists in the reviews for both accounts were not known, although more than a dozen contenders competed for the eStar business and seven vied for Webquest. “We’ll be able to stretch our wings and have some fun creating brands for two very exciting Web-based consumer ventures,” agency president Daniel Katsin said of the new accounts. Webquest plans to design an Internet “theme park” that connects users with various entertainment sites. Webquest now hosts sites that allow Web surfers to play 3-D Pong games as well as chess and scavenger hunt games online. The company said it hopes to increase click-throughs on its sites by featuring chat rooms and hosting gaming tournaments. The company is also developing a “hub” site for its gaming ventures. Katsin/Loeb will create a campaign for an online arcade where users compete for cash and prizes. The campaign will include broadcast, print and outdoor work. “We wanted an agency [that] could be our strategic partner and with [its] Internet and entrepreneurial background and hands-on philosophy,” said Webquest CEO Kirk Johnson. “Katsin/Loeb proved to be just that agency.” EStar.com, based in Beverly Hills, Calif., and San Francisco, features celebrity news, merchandise and profiles. The ad push will involve a print campaign this spring and broadcast work in the fall. “We were impressed with [Katsin/Loeb’s] portfolio and confident in the expertise of their management and creative teams,” said Jim Hollenbeck, marketing vice president for eStar. Katsin/Loeb’s other Internet clients include Mpower.com and MrSwap.com, which the agency won recently. The shop’s annual billings are estimated at $46 million.